Falling in Love in A Comic shop
by SageK
Summary: Prompt: Season 2 AU Post Silly Love Songs. Sam and Blaine bump into each other and become friends totally outside of all their other friendships. Later, at Rachel's BIOTA party, they hook up


"Hey, I know you."

Looking up from where he was flipping through a box of old comics, Blaine met the gaze of a boy standing on the opposite side of the table. He was tall and blonde with all-American good looks made more interesting by a wide, lush mouth.

Blaine recognized him as well. "You're a member of New Directions, right?"

The boy smiled briefly and nodded. "Yeah. You're a Warbler."

"Blaine Anderson," he introduced himself. "Your duet at Sectionals was very good."

The boy seemed surprised but pleased by the praise. "Thank you. Soul Sister was incredible. I'm Sam Evans. You and Kurt are friends, right?"

Nodding, Blaine said, "And you would be the one who took a fist to the face trying to stand up for him."

That made Sam from. "Yeah, well, I did a bad job, didn't I? He was still so scared he had to leave. People are kind of horrible at McKinley."

Clearly, the boy felt awful that he hadn't been able to help Kurt and Blaine thought that spoke very well of him. "But you tried. That counts for more than you can imagine."

Sam gave a short nod but didn't look like he believed would Blaine had said. He looked tired and more than a little sad. Deciding to switch to a lighter topic, he asked, "So, are you a fan or do you just enjoy the ambience of the Comic Grotto?"

That earned him another quick smile. "If it'll get you teased for being a dork, then yeah, I'm probably a fan."

"You don't look like a dork," Blaine said with a grin, then froze because, non-homophobe or not, most straight teenage boys didn't particularly like being complemented by gay boys.

Sam however merely snorted. "That's kind of the point... But then I talk and eyes just glaze over."

Okay, sweet, gorgeous boy with self-esteem issues. Blaine didn't know him at all, but he had the feeling that Sam was a good guy. "Want to grab a coffee?"

He was a little surprised when the other boy agreed and they wandered over to the Lima Bean. Sam looked even more depressed when confronted with the bedraggled Valentine's Day décor the staff was in the process of removing.

"Bad holiday?"

Taking a sip of his herbal tea (apparently, caffeine and Sam were not a good combination), Sam nodded. "My girlfriend is cheating on me with her ex, who is also my friend. I was pretty sure about it and then her friend confirmed it, but she's mad at Quinn and wants me to date her instead, but frankly Santana scares me."

Blaine blinked. "Well, that beats my embarrassing attempt to woo a boy via public serenade and rejection at The Gap."

"You sang to a guy and he…?" Sam said, clearly confirming what Blaine had told him. "That sucks. You seem like a good dude though. You'll find someone who appreciates you."

"Thank you, Sam," Blaine responded, touched by his kind words. Then he raised his coffee in a toast. "But for the moment, here's to being love's bitch."

Sam smiled at him then, a bright, full and truly stunning grin. "At least we're men enough to admit it," he finished. "Comics and Buffy? Awesome."

"Whedon is a God among men."

"You speak the truth."

* * *

What had begun as a trip to the Comic Grotto (Sam had hoped to lose himself for a few hours in whatever issues struck his fancy), had turned into a fairly nice day. He'd been surprised to see Kurt's friend from Dalton picking through the back issues and they had gotten to talking.

Blaine was a really good guy and they shared a love of all things geeky. Sam hadn't expected that from the dapper boy, but it was really great to find someone who shared his interests and didn't look at him like he was a loser when he used a fandom reference.

He even laughed at Sam's Darth Vader impression.

It was also nice that Blaine actually seemed interested in hearing what Sam was thinking about the Quinn/Finn situation. Other than Santana, everyone at McKinley was quick to shut down his concerns, insisting that he and Quinn were a perfect couple.

He knew they weren't, because he wasn't as dumb as everyone seemed all too willing to believe.

"She said she got Mono from him when she gave him the Heinrich maneuver when Finn was choking on a gumball," Sam said with a sigh when Blaine asked him how Quinn had explained the odd, two-person Mono outbreak.

"Heinrich man… Heimlich maneuver," Blaine said, knowing the name Sam kept getting tripped up by. His face scrunched up in confusion. "How could she get Mono from that?"

"She sucked the gumball out of his throat."

"What?" Blaine looked like he was trying not to laugh, but at least he didn't laugh in Sam's face. "Sam, that's not how the Heimlich maneuver is performed. There's no way she saved his life by... Just no."

Heaving a sigh, Sam admitted, "I thought that sounded a little strange. I just… have no idea how to deal with this. I've never had a girlfriend before."

With a shrug, Blaine replied, "I'm not really the guides offer advice on that topic. As much as I love romance, I'm pretty bad at it. My big idea was an embarrassing serenade, remember?"

Sam blinked at him. "But see, I think that's awesome! If someone had sung to me, I'd totally have fallen in love. You put yourself out there and took a risk."

Blaine's cheeks flushed and he seemed pleased by Sam's statement. "Thanks. Most of my friends were too into the idea, but they did back me up."

"That was nice of them," Sam said, not sure if his friends would do the same. He hoped they would, especially if he decided to go through with his current plan. "I've been thinking of asking the guys in New Directions to sing with me. I've been performing at kids parties, calling my act The Justin Bieber Experience. I figure girls love him, so maybe Quinn would like me more if I…."

"She should like you for being you," Blaine interrupted, then raised a brow. "Justin Bieber? Really?"

Sam shrugged. "Girls love him. I don't get it, but it's true."

"Girls," Blaine replied with a grin. "Impossible to understand."

Chuckling, Sam said, "Well, it doesn't sound like dating guys is any easier."

Blaine laughed, eyes crinkling. "So far, I'd say that's a pretty accurate assessment… At least until I meet the right guy."

As nice and talented and cute as Blaine was, Sam couldn't imagine anyone not liking him. "Dude, you're awesome. It'll happen."

"You, Sam Evans, are good for my ego," Blaine declared, which made Sam grin and hold of his hand.

"Gimme your phone so I can put my number in it. Do you go to the Grotto every Saturday? We should totally meet up next week," Sam babbled, then cringed. People usually seemed put off when he jumped headlong into trying to forge friendships.

To his great relief, Blaine just smiled wider and handed over his phone. "I'd like that. Call and let me know how things go with Quinn."

"I will," Sam promised, feeling much lighter than he had before running into Blaine.

* * *

When Blaine stepped into the Lima Bean, he immediately spotted Sam sitting at a table, morosely dunking a teabag in his cup. A second cup sat across from him, untouched, and Blaine smiled at the thoughtful gesture.

Approaching him, Blaine said, "Hey, Sam. How are things?"

Blaine knew he'd broken up with Quinn and the girl hadn't taken it very well. He hoped things had settled down over the past few days.

"Well, half the club is on Quinn's side, the other half doesn't care and Rachel wants to bond over our shared 'Finn/Quinn emotional trauma'. Santana hates me because I don't want to date her, so she keeps announcing to everyone that dating Quinn 'turned me gay', so I more of a piranha than ever," Sam huffed, using finger quotes to great effect. "How was your week?"

"Better than yours," Blaine answered sympathetically, shedding his jacket and taking his seat. "And I think you mean pariah, not piranha."

"Pariah," Sam repeated thoughtfully as Blaine took a sip of his coffee and smiled.

"The medium drip! Good memory. Thank you," he said and Sam perked up a little.

Watching Blaine add a few packets of sugar, Sam asked, "Sweet tooth?"

"You got me," Blaine admitted. "I love my sugar. What's your vice?"

"Cool Ranch Doritos. Can't get enough of them… Which is why I don't eat them often."

"Occasionally, indulgence is good. Nick, one of the other Warblers, makes these cookie things… He takes to Oreos, pries a wafer off of each, sandwiches a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup between the two cream sides and then dips the whole thing in milk chocolate. It's insane."

Sam gaped at him. "I think I gained weight just thinking about that! I'll have to hit the gym again later or my abs will hate me and going to hiding behind the fat!"

Shaking his head, Blaine snorted, unable to tell if Sam was serious or not. "I'm sure your abs are fine."

"No," Sam insisted, then glanced around before… _Oh God!_

He grabbed the hem of his shirt and hauled it up toward his nipples, revealing a taut, rippling, perfectly defined abdomen. Each muscle stood out proudly, not bulging or overdeveloped, simply gorgeous.

As Blaine stared, unable to get his brain to do more than shout '_Abs! Abs! Abs!_', Sam pinched his side, catching a tiny area of skin between two fingers.

"See, fat!"

Blaine blinked, then shook his head and cleared his throat. "Sam, that's just skin. I don't think there's an ounce of fat anywhere on you."

Peering down his body, Sam frowned doubtfully, then poked himself a little. "You think so?"

"Yes! Could you please put your shirt down, it's very distracting!"

Dropping his shirt, Sam peered at him, worried. "What's wrong? Do my abs look strange?"

Self-esteem issues, Blaine reminded himself and tried to will his blush away. "No. They're almost too perfect… I didn't want to stare and make you uncomfortable."

Puzzled, Sam tipped his head slightly to the side. "Uncomfortable? I showed them to you so you could see the flabby bits. If they're not bad, why would I be un… Oh! Oh, okay, I get it."

"And now you're uncomfortable," Blaine sighed. "Sorry."

Sam waved a hand. "I'm not uncomfortable. Surprised and, like, really flattered, but not uncomfortable."

A surge of relief hit Blaine at Sam's statement. He really hadn't liked the thought of alienating Sam, however unintentionally. They got along really well and he liked spending time with him, even at the risk of developing a tiny, fruitless crush on a straight boy.

* * *

Blaine's unintentional compliment left the blush on Sam's cheeks and he knew he was smiling. He still didn't understand why anyone is nice and attractive as Blaine would want to look at him, but it was an ego boost he sorely needed.

A few years earlier, Sam had come to the conclusion that he liked people, not a single sex, when he had developed crushes on both his friend Sean and Lori, the high school girl who sometimes babysat for Stevie and Stacy. His parents assured him that what he was feeling was perfectly normal, that love is love, but that there were some small minded people in the world who would not understand.

They wanted him to be himself, to be happy, but also to be safe.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Sam had not been born with the innate ability to flirt and thus potential relationship issues had been shunted aside until he had come to McKinley and Quinn had been willing to overlook his awkwardness. She'd called him cute, but, looking back, he wondered if she had actually been attracted to him.

He thought maybe that was part of the reason she cheated on him.

Her eyes had never looked like Blaine had just now, which was why it had taken him a moment to realize what was going on.

Maybe the little crush he'd begun nursing last weekend wasn't as one-sided as he assumed.

But, after rushing headlong into dating Quinn, Sam thought perhaps moving more slowly might work out better.

Blaine was looking at him, obviously relieved after Sam assured him that he hadn't minded being stared at. "Oh, good," the dark-haired boy breathed. "Some guys don't like it when guys like me…."

There was a hint of teasing and his voice and Sam smirked a little. "Well, I can take a complement even if I don't get it. Can you?"

"Take a complement? Sure," Blaine replied, falling back into their easy, friendly banter. "Why, Sam? Are you going to give me one?"

He shrugged. "Well, you do have really gorgeous eyes."

Sam had a real weakness for pretty brown eyes.

Blaine's eyes sparkled as he smiled and sipped his coffee.

* * *

Thursday evening, after a Warbler's rehearsal, Blaine was sprawled on his bed, blinking at the ceiling and contemplating calling it a night when his phone rang. Scooping it up, he peered at the screen and grinned when he saw the display.

Sam I Am

"Hey Sam," he greeted, wondering if Sam was going to alter (or worst cancel) their Saturday plans. "What's up?"

"Hi," was Sam's simple reply, then rush of words poured out of him. "Rachel's having a party on Saturday night. I know Kurt'll probably ask you to come, but I wanted to ask. Do you want to go?"

"To a party?" Obviously.

"Yeah."

"With you?" That was the question. Was Sam asking him as a friend or….

"Yeah. I mean, no reason not to… We're friends, right? It's not supposed to be secret, is it?"

There had been a momentary hesitation and Blaine wondered if maybe Sam might possibly… No, no crushing on straight boys! No matter how cute, sweet and completely non-homophobic they were….

"I'd like that."

"Cool. Everyone's being nicer this week… Well, not Santana, but she's never really nice…."

They chatted for about an hour before saying good night and Blaine slept well, dreaming about silly smiles and green eyes.

On Saturday morning, Kurt caught him in the dining hall, all energy and break smiles. "Blaine! I'm glad I caught you before you do your weekly disappearing act. Want to come with me to a party tonight?"

"At Rachel Berry's?"

Kurt blinked at him in surprise. "Are you reading minds now? Yes. How did you know?"

"Sam invited me. It sounds like fun," Blaine replied, stirring brown sugar into his oatmeal.

Gaping for a moment, Kurt asked, "Sam… Sam Evans?"

"Yes…."

"Why would Sam invite you? How does he have your number? This makes no sense!" Kurt sat down, looking completely befuddled and Blaine patted his arm.

"We bumped into each other in a comic shop and got talking. We've been hanging out on Saturdays."

"What on earth do talk about?" Kurt wondered, obviously poleaxed.

"Comics, movies, football… Personal stuff. He's a good listener and very nonjudgmental," Blaine said, spooning up a bit of his breakfast.

Kurt just shook his head in disbelief. "So, you're coming to the party?"

"I am," he agreed. "Want to meet us for pizza before the party. We're gonna grab a pie after the movie lets out."

"You're going to movie was Sam?"

Kurt's voice raised in pitch and Blaine politely pretended not to notice. "The dollar theater is playing _Tangled_. We're taking his brother and sister to see it."

When Sam had called yesterday to invite him to the movie after coffee, Blaine had been surprised but happy to agree. _Tangled_ was a great movie and there were such obvious fondness in Sam's tone when he spoke of his siblings that Blaine really wanted to see them interact.

"You know his family?"

Oh no. There was a distinct hint of jealousy Kurt's words and Blaine did not want that. He adored Kurt, as a friend, but that spark of romantic connection just wasn't there for him. The simple fact that they were both gay did not mean they were destined to date.

Escaping as soon as breakfast was done, Blaine made his way to Lima, beating Sam to the coffee shop and ordering an Orange Blossom and Youthberry tea for him.

A few minutes later, Sam collapsed into the chair at their table, grinning widely. "Morning, dude!"

His attitude was infectious and Blaine found himself returning the smile. "Well, you're in a good mood."

"I am," Sam agreed, color high on his cheeks. "My dad got a new job. He starts on Monday. Things were getting kinda scary there for a while. Mom and dad tried to keep it from us, but I'm pretty sure we were close to losing the house."

Shocked, Blaine blinked. "What? That's… I'm glad your dad found a job. That's great news!"

Money wasn't something Blaine ever really thought about. It was just there. His family was wealthy and there was a trust fund waiting for him when he turned 18 (another when he finished college), so he couldn't imagine how Sam must've felt.

"It is," Sam agreed. "I think we managed to hide stuff from the kids though. They don't need to worry. It's why I try to find stuff like the dollar theater or craft days of the library, so they can still have fun. But it'll get better now."

The relief in Sam's voice was so plain that it almost hurt and Blaine reached out and placed his hand on Sam's wrist. When he began to withdraw, Sam rolled his arm and caught Blaine's fingers in a brief squeeze.

A few hours later, after stop at the Comic Grotto and Books A Million, they made their way toward the theater, chatting easily.

"There's my dad and the kids," Sam said, pointing quickly to three people standing by the ticket booths.

Sam's dad was tall and blonde, graying slightly at the temples and still quite handsome. Sam was clearly going to age well as he took after him. His brother and sister were a pair of tiny, adorable blonde moppets.

Steve he spotted them first and pulled away from his father to shout, "Sammy!"

When the boy careened into him, Sam scooped him up without a second thought and carried him over to meet his dad. "Hi guys!" he greeted them. "This is my friend Blaine. You remember I told you about him?"

Stacy nodded. "He sings songs like you do!"

"He's better," Sam said cheerfully and Blaine smiled at the praise.

"Don't sell yourself short. We tied at Sectionals, remember… But, were going to win Regionals."

Sam's dad chuckled. "A little friendly competition is good for the soul," he commented, then offered a hand to Blaine. "Dwight Evans."

"Blaine Anderson, Sir. Nicely to meet you."

"Likewise. You all enjoy the movie."

"We will, Daddy," Stacy assured him, releasing his hand and eyeballing Stevie, who was still smiled in Sam's arms. Then she looked at Blaine and held out her hands in the universal 'Pick Me Up' gesture.

Shrugging, Blaine complied, hoisting her into his arms.

"They're cuddly," Sam intoned as they paid for their tickets and entered the theater to find seats. It wasn't crowded, but they wound up with the children perching on their laps throughout the film and Blaine was just glad there were no juice box related spills.

Even at the dollar theater, snacks are pricey, so they had snuck in drinks and candy and Blaine's messenger bag. He'd never actually done that before, but it was nice to have Root Beer and candy he liked instead of whatever was available at the concession stand.

Mr. Evans collected Stevie and Stacy after the movie while Sam and Blaine wandered toward the Pizza Barn. Kurt hadn't wanted to join them and said he'd see them at the party, so they grabbed a pie and a table.

Watching Sam go through his pizza routine, blotting off the oil, scraping off half the cheese and removing the crust, Blaine said, "So, when I told Kurt we've been hanging out he thought it was strange."

Sam frowned. "Huh. Why?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to tell you in case he says anything tonight."

Nodding, Sam replied, "Thanks. I hate it when people start acting weird and I don't know why. That I just go crazy trying to figure out what I did and no one is happy."

"Well, if he's acting off, it's not you," Blaine assured him, not wanting to say there was potential jealousy involved.

"Okay," Sam said, nibbling on his pizza in a way that told Blaine he was trying to eat it as slowly as possible… Probably to make himself feel like he'd actually eaten more.

Blaine had finished two slices and was grabbing a third by the time Sam finished one and then sat on his hands.

Oh, hell no.

"Sam, have another piece of pizza," Blaine said. "I'm not eating this whole thing myself."

He shrugged. "We can bring the extra to the party. Finn and Puck will eat anything you put in front of them."

"One more…."

Sam eyed the food longingly and then snatched a piece, wiping off the oil, but forgoing his other rituals and taking a big bite. He sighed happily but grumbled, "My abs hate you."

Snorting, Blaine said, "I thought we went over this last week. You have abs that would make Michelangelo weep. An extra slice of pizza will not spell your doom."

Sam rolled his eyes. "It's a slippery slope. First pizza, then a family size bag of Doritos and BLAM! Chubby Sam!"

That may Blaine rolled his eyes in return, but Sam finished his second piece of pizza and they boxed the rest of it up.

As predicted, the leftovers disappeared as soon as they got to the party… Which was unlike any of the gatherings he'd been to with his fellow Warblers. Even the parties that included girls from their sister school didn't usually fall into drunken chaos quite so quickly, but when in Rome….

The more he drank, the more fun everything seemed. Brittany was on the washing machine, half out of her clothes, and Tina and Mercedes were laughing and nothing, having a grand old time. He considered going over to join them before he noticed Quinn and Lauren (who had tried to grab him earlier, insisting she could bench press him) shouting at Puck and Santana screaming at a startled looking Sam.

Altering his vague course toward Finn and Kurt (neither of whom were drinking), Blaine stumbled over and collapsed onto the chair beside Sam. It really wasn't built for two, but the blonde didn't seem to mind.

"Hi!" Sam said happily and Blaine returned the greeting.

"Excuse me! We were talking!" Santana half shouted/half sobbed, waving a bottle of tequila menacingly.

Blaine stared at her. "You're really loud," he said, then realized that probably wasn't the best thing to say to an angry, drunk girl. "And very pretty!"

"I am!" she agreed, then pointed at Sam. "See! Even fun-sized gay knows, hot piece! You should want to be all up on this!"

Sam blinked. "I just… No."

Clearly, alcohol wasn't doing Sam's debate skills any favors.

It was almost a relief when Brittany fell off of the washer and Santana rushed off to check on her, perform drunk triage or whatever….

"It's hot in here," Sam murmured and Blaine had to agree.

Standing, he grabbed Sam's arm and hauled the other boy over to the far wall, leaning against the cool surface with a sigh. Content, they both sank to sit side-by-side and watch the unfolding chaos.

Brittany was fine, back on the washer, Santana beside her. Lauren had a loudly protesting Kurt tossed over her shoulder and both Finn and Puck seemed to be trying to resolve whatever that was. Tina and Mercedes were sleep. Rachel and Quinn were fighting. Mike and Artie were watching Brittany and Santana….

The music kept playing, a steady beat Blaine could feel deep in his bones.

"Glad you came?"

Sam's breath was hot on his cheek and Blaine turned to find himself practically nose to nose with him. "Best party ever!" he replied, feeling silly and happy. Moving just the tiniest bit, he brushed his nose again Sam's. "So glad you invited me!"

"I'm glad you came," Sam murmured, then wet his lips, pink tongue peeking out a bit and drawing Blaine's eyes.

His own mouth felt suddenly dry and he let out a shuddering breath, slowly looking up to meet Sam's gaze. Maybe it was the alcohol, the Blaine was fairly sure he saw lust there and that was the last straw.

Leaning in, he pressed his lips to Sam's (oh God, so soft) and was delighted to feel the kiss returned.

"… I just don't see how you get forgiven for everything! If I get half of the things that you have, I would've been burned at the stake…."

Quinn rolled her eyes and wondered how many more shots she'd have to take before she could punch Rachel in the face and blame it on the alcohol. Letting the other girl's rant wash over her, she glanced around.

Lauren still had Kurt over her shoulder, whatever that was about, but Puck seemed to be reasoning with her… Oh, Finn was trying to sneak around behind her to grab Kurt.

That wasn't going to end well.

At least Santana had stopped screaming at Sam… Where was he?

Casting her eyes around the room, she spotted the blonde against the back wall, sitting beside Kurt's friend. Their shoulders were pressed against each other, heads bowed together as the Burnett said something then rubbed his nose against Sam's.

_What the hell?_

Instead of pulling away, Sam just replied to the other boy, staring at him…until Blaine - that was Kurt's friend - leaned in and kissed Sam…who didn't protest.

In fact, he moved toward the smaller boy, deepening the kiss and reaching up to cup his jaw.

"Oh my, my, my, and here I thought I was joking," Santana drawled, having stopped grinding against Britt long enough to see what Quinn had. "Congrats, Quinn! You actually did turn him off of girls!"

"That's hot," Lauren commented, releasing Kurt, who tumbled toward Puck fortunately and, drunk or not, he had good reflexes and kept Kurt from crashing headfirst onto the floor.

"Oh God, we should look!" Finn whined as Kurt whipped around, trying to see what had caught everyone's attention.

When he saw Blaine and Sam, he hit a note that made everyone flinch. "WHAT IS GOING ON! No, no, no," he yelped, climbing over a grumbling Mike and stalking toward the duo. "Stop that! You're straight, Sam!"

That got a response from Sam at least and he broke the kiss to cheerfully say, "Nope!"

He tried to kiss Blaine again, but Kurt managed to grab their shoulders and give them both a shake. "You two are very drunk. Straight!Sam will be back in the morning and very glad I intervened."

Blaine batted at Kurtz hand ineffectively like a pouting kitten and Sam tried to focus on Kurt.

"You all decided I'm straight. Just cuz I like girls doesn't mean I don't like boys too! It's totally a thing. I can like both," Sam rambled, then breathed, "I really like Blaine…."

"I really like you too," Lena replied, sounding so happy that it made Quinn's teeth ache.

Kurt heaved a sigh and said, "Fine. Just don't think anyone will sympathize when you have a hetero freak out tomorr…Oh, you couldn't wait until I was finished!"

Blaine had gotten a hand in Sam's shirt and used it to Hall Sam back to him, deceptively strong for such a little guy.

Deciding to ignore them as she would any other couple indulging in PDA at a party, Quinn turned her back and offered Kurt her bottle of Jack Daniel's when he stepped up beside her.

He needed it as much as she did.


End file.
